


Everything I Should've Said

by ashxtodd



Series: Hopeless Fools [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alfred Pennyworth Ships It, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dark, Dramatic, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Humor, Healthy Relationships, Heavy Angst, Idiots in Love, Jason Todd-centric, M/M, Past Drug Addiction, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Stephanie Brown, Sex Pollen, Tim knows he's a hot shit, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, but like same thing cos Jason is thirsty af, jason todd is a mess, no beta we die like jason, truth pollen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22908208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashxtodd/pseuds/ashxtodd
Summary: Tim kissed Jason before running away. It just happened in the heat of the moment, right? (At least that's the only logical explanation Jason can come up with). So realistically he shouldn't really feel so drawn to Tim. They're enemies-turned-friends and nothing more. But then why does his stomach do a flip every time he thinks of Tim? Why can't he get that damn kiss out of his mind for once? And why the hell can't he get laid.Of course then Tim decides to come back to Gotham (looking extra attractive in Jason's kind opinion) and Jason is suddenly a weak man. Pathetic. But it is what it is.And then why does Gotham City and its God damn villains hate him so much that they can't take a break for once? Why does Tim have to get a new suit that makes him look so hot? Why is he blushing because of Tim. Hell, why is he even working with the bats in the first place, he hates those guys - oh wait yeah, it was Tim. Everything is because of Tim. Especially the bi mess he's become all of a sudden. What the fuck?God damn it. He's gonna kill Roy.(READ THE FIRST FIC FIRST)
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: Hopeless Fools [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595026
Comments: 20
Kudos: 137





	1. 1. Everytime I see you, suddenly my heart begins to race

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so I'm back with this. Updates are gonna be slow.
> 
> Unedited

  
  
**1\. Everytime I see you, suddenly my heart begins to race.**

  
  
  
  


It’s been a while. 

Well more like a year, really. 

A year since they told Bruce. 

A year since he became part of the family again.

He didn’t expect to make amends with the Bats - not at the time anyway, but then Tim, he made a bargain. He should’ve known.

Of course Tim was going to pull something like this to thank Jason, but truthfully, Tim getting help was the most thank you he ever needed or deserved. 

Even though Jason wasn’t technically ready to make amends with the whole family, he wanted Tim to be happy, so he did it, and honest to God it hasn’t been that bad of an experience.

  
  


Speaking of which, it’s also been a year since Tim left. 

And a year since Tim kissed him.

He isn’t quite sure about why Tim kissed him. Maybe it happened in the moment? 

Well that’s what he told himself for quite a while, and hell he still does, because Tim can’t have a crush on him? Right? Not so quickly anyway. 

Jason had tried to kill Tim, on multiple occasions. He couldn’t have forgiven that and forgotten that in just a week. That’s unrealistic. And it’s Tim. He isn’t the type for love or anything like that, so obviously he doesn’t just forgive people blindly. At least, that’s what he thinks. 

He isn’t really that close to Tim as opposed to Stephanie or Bart. They only had a week to bond but even then they became very close, but obviously there’s still a lot of things that he didn’t tell him. They aren’t on best friend basis as of yet. 

  
  


Anyway, enough about why Tim might have done it and more of how Jason feels and felt about it. 

At first, he was shocked. He froze and didn’t know how to react in time, so by the time he came back to his senses, Tim had already left. 

Jason was conflicted and confused and didn’t know what to do, so he took the route he usually took when he had problems; tried to distract himself.

He tried to forget about the kiss from then onwards but it would haunt him when he would try to go to sleep - as if the ghost of Tim’s lips were still there. He missed that feeling, even if he experienced it once. 

Not only that but everyone had seen what had happened. They never straight up asked him what all that was about - probably because of the utter confusion visible on Jason’s features that was present for at least a week. Although Bruce had asked about the ‘status’ of his and Tim’s relationship. Jason cleared the air by saying they were just friends. 

So after he gave up on trying to forget about it, he went to Roy and Kori. The experience was _interesting_ , to say the least. 

He frantically explained the whole incident to them and about the disconcerting new sensation he was experiencing. 

Roy simply pursed his lips and held back Kori from saying anything. “Look Jaybird, when was the last time you had sex?” 

Jason choked on his beer as he let the question settle in. “Excuse me?” He asked, his eyes widened. 

“Just answer the question, Jay” Roy insisted. 

Jason sighed and fell back on the sofa. “I don’t know. That night with Talia” He replied shrugging. “Besides I don’t need sex bro, jerking off works just as fine” He said rolling his eyes. 

“Sex is more pleasurable and relieves way more stress, in my opinion” Roy argued. 

Jason shifted uncomfortably. Probably the most awkward sex talk he’s ever had. “Maybe for a bottom, sure” He snorted, turning his head away from Roy due to the the slight heat on his cheeks. 

“Spoken like a true virgin” Roy replied. 

“Look,” He sighed. “I don’t get why this is relevant to the situation” 

“Jason” Kori intervenes. “Just trust us, it is. Go get a pretty girl or a handsome guy and hook up with them, and then come to us after” She insisted. 

“But-” 

“Alright?” She asked sternly. 

“Yes ma’am” He said rolling his eyes. 

  
  


So he did as they asked. 

Well he  _ tried  _ at least. 

He went to a bar and even found a very pretty boy and girl. But then, an image of Tim would flicker in his mind and he just didn’t want them. 

He’d felt guilty, as if he’d be betraying Tim somehow if he slept with someone else. 

After that he all of a sudden started having occasional dreams about Tim. Not sexual per se, but they were about him and Tim,  _ together _ . 

That’s when he knew he was  _ fucked _ . 

He realized that he was experiencing a  _ crush _ . 

When he came to that realization, he instantly phoned Roy.

“Hey, what’s up Jaybird?” Roy asked. 

“Roy” He practically gasped. “I have a crush on Tim” Saying that outloud felt weird.

Roy snorted. “Yeah, no shit” 

“What?” 

“Hey Kori! Jay’s realized his crush on Timbers” He hears Roy distantly. 

For fuck’s sake. 

So after this, he was so doomed. His patrols got sloopy and he let so many perps get away on accident because of this. He was so confused. 

The bats had tried to ask him what was wrong, but surely he couldn’t tell them - he’d be even more fucked if he did. Tim deserves better, way better and if the Bats knew that Jason liked him, he’d be dead man (not that he already isn’t)

So he had to think of something and quick.

So he came up with a lame excuse for his behavior and called it a day. Well to be fair to him, the Bats did somehow buy it. 

His excuse was that he had been assigned to a very personal case, due to which past memories had resurfaced which had been pretty traumatic. 

The bats bought it and he wasn't surprised. Based on his background, it's pretty plausible that he has suffered from PTSD from way before he even died. 

It's manipulative. Yes. They took sympathy on him after the revelation, but did he have a choice? Perhaps he did, but it was probably worse than this one. 

Thankfully he finally managed to adapt to his crush on Tim. He managed to go back to normal - sort of. 

It took a whole month for the bats to stop taking pity on him. He was so glad when it was finally over because he hated every second of if. It already took a lot of his will to actually tolerate them as it is, so this little incident just took all of it.

God, he is so gonna kill Tim.

  
  


Alas, Tim isn't here and the bats aren't all that bad as long as they know to keep their space. 

  
  


Although he's made "amends" with the family, he's still not keen on living at the manor, although due to rough nights or the once every month meeting with the bats or even because of a case, he stays here occasionally.

Alfred had told him he could pick any room he desired so he chose his old room.

Alfred being the amazing person he is, took

out of his old things. So it feels homely-ish. 

  
  


So waking up here isn't that strange. 

Instead, he somewhat groggily walks to the joint bathroom to brush his teeth. 

Looking at himself in the mirror makes him realize how utter shit he looks, while he grabs his toothbrush and spreads the toothpaste on it before brushing his teeth.

Last night he had managed to fall due to a minor inconvenience. And because he wasn't wearing his helmet at the time, he hit his head hard on the road, falling from the forth story of a building. 

It was a clumsy mistake, but thankfully he only had a mild concussion. But even then, Alfred had insisted that he have some rest. 

Of course he had protested against the idea because he still had to finish the case, but Alfred's instructions were stern and needed to be followed. 

  
  


Thankfully so too, because not only does he look like shit, he feels like shit too. 

After he's done using the bathroom, he walks out of his room - not even bothering to change out of the black sweatshirt and grey sweatpants he has on. Doesn't even bother to make his hair or even move the white strand on his forehead. 

He just walks out in his slippers and doesn't pay any mind to his surroundings, because holy shit he needs some food in his system ASAP - his metabolism is so high, probably near a speedsters level in his opinion, but he prefers healthy food more than anything. 

It doesn't take him long to reach the long staircase, but the problem being that his legs are a bit sore too, so getting down the staircase might be a challenge. 

  
  


Step by step, he goes down and eventually heads towards the kitchen, almost falling over on air in the process. 

As he finally reaches his destination, he sees Alfred cooking. 

"Hey Alf" He says practically yawning.

"Master Jason" Alfred says in acknowledgement as he continues to cook. "How are you feeling?" 

"M'alright" he replies, taking a seat on one of the stools. 

"You certainly don't look alright" Alfred says teasingly.

"Gee thanks Alf" he says sarcastically, rolling his eyes, but smiles regardless. "What time is it?" He asks all of a sudden. 

"11:30 I believe" Alfred replies. 

Jason hums in response. "So everyone is probably asleep and Damian's probably at school then" Jason says. Alfred hums. "So who are you making breakfast for?" 

"Master Bruce" 

"He isn't up usually around this time" He says puzzled. 

"He has important matters to attend to" Alfred explains. "Anyhow, what would you like to eat, Master Jason" Alfred asks, turning around to face Jason.

"I'm craving chocolate french toast" he confesses. 

Alfred nods and turns back around to prepare Jason's food. 

Jason sighs and puts his head down on the table. He could really use some painkillers right now for his throbbing head. 

After a silent few minutes with only Alfred cooking, all of a sudden he hears Bruce talking. 

At first he decides to ignore it, but the familiar voice of the other person that is clearly talking to Bruce makes him intrigued - not interested enough to care about what they're talking about, but rather who is talking. 

The thing is, even though he's now somewhat living in the manor, working with the bats etc, he's still not on the best terms with Bruce. But they're civil enough that they don't put their differences aside for a case or something. 

They're not necessarily on speaking terms. They just nod in acknowledgement to each other's presence and continue doing what they were. 

So he decides to take a peak by picking his head up and looking at the entrance of the kitchen. 

All of a sudden his world stops when he sees who's standing next to Bruce. 

Tim fucking Drake. 

The same fucking guy who he's been having a raging crush on for  _ months _ now. 

The same fucking guy who kissed him and left him savoring the taste for months. 

He looks different though. 

His hair is neatly trimmed, height a bit taller, face looking brighter. He's put on more weight and muscle and the baby fat seems to be gone. He seems  _ fit _ and happy. 

And so hot. 

Although he's not sure whether he wants to punch him or kiss him senseless.

"Hey Jason" Tim says, waving at him slightly. 

Jason realizes that his jaw is literally on the table and decides to close his mouth. "...T-Tim? He manages to choke out after a couple of seconds. "What are you doing 'ere?"

"I'm back" Tim replies, smiling. "For good" 

Jason's heart is beating so loudly that he thinks that everyone can hear it. He tries to control his breathing but fails. 

Holy shit, Tim is back

* * *


	2. It's gonna take me a minute, but I could get used to this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim hums. "Speaking of which, how are things going with the rest of the family and Jason?" he asks. 
> 
> "Master Jason has seemed to become quite open with everyone, especially Master Duke" Alfred replies. "But Master Bruce and him still haven't quite made up, although they're on civil terms" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to update a few days ago but i got sick and couldnt finish it so here it is
> 
> *UNEDITED*

**2\. It's gonna take me a minute, but I could get used to this**

  
  
  
  
  


Being in San Francisco for a year was fun. 

It gave him time away from all the family drama and he got time to spend time with his best friends. And most of all, only a few people knew him here. 

He wasn't Tim Drake-Wayne, heir to Wayne Enterprises. He was just Tim. Plain old Tim. 

It was a nice change. 

Working with the Titans again was also great fun. 

They all supported him through his healing process and recovery and helped him a lot along the way. He's really grateful of them. 

  
  


Over his time there he also turned eighteen which meant that Kon and Cassie tried to set him up on a lot of dates, which ended up with just a hookup. 

The thing is, he just couldn't go out with anyone due to the fact that he had kissed Jason. It was a terrible mistake and he regrets it so much because now he can't move on. 

It happened in the moment and then bam he realized he had feelings for Jason. 

The kiss was one of the reasons why his recovery was rough during the beginning. 

He had regretted it so much that he wanted to drink all his problems away or get high. 

He was so embarrassed that he thought he would never have the guts to face Jason again.

That or Jason would never want to see him again. 

Both were terrible because he missed Jason dearly. 

He did quite trust Jason as much as he'd like to, so after he had gotten over being embarrassed about the kiss, he decided that when he goes back to Gotham, he's going to try to trust Jason and get to know him, because all his knowledge about him is things Dick, Alfred or Bruce have told him or the little things he's noticed or Jason hims of has said, which realistically isn't that much. 

So his little crush is purely based off of looks. 

But that still doesn't stop him from having his crush crisis every now and then. 

He's told his friends about his crush on Jason because truthfully he can't keep anything away from them most of the time - especially something like this. 

Kon doesn't quite trust Jason which is completely understandable since he doesn't know him at all but Bart has tried to convince him that Jason isn't actually bad due to what he witnessed at the manor. Cassie gives him advice that he desperately needed to cope with the crush for a while. 

One of the tips was to get a makeover. So he did.

He cut his hair short, got a whole new wardrobe and even changed his Red Robin suit - so now he doesn't have a cowl and instead wears a domino mask. 

With this new makeover along with the new muscle and weight he's pulled on and even the height, he knows he looks hot. 

Meanwhile his rehabilitation went fairly well. Since he knew for a fact that he wasn't an alcoholic, leaving alcohol wasn't all that hard. Although the drugs and cigarettes were a bit tricky. 

Cigarettes were way harder to stop, way more so than drugs, surprisingly. 

He hasn't stopped smoking, he just smokes when he's in high-stress situations - which at times is his crush crisis. 

  
  


"Miss Stephanie has become Batgirl" Alfred tells. 

Tim hums in response as he looks out the window of the car. Gotham city seemingly looks the same as it did last year, as they pass by the buildings. "Why'd she give up the mantle before?" He questions. Stephanie never told him why - pretty sure she didn't tell anyone. 

"I believe it had something to do with Master Bruce disappearing" Alfred explains, still looking at the road. "I do know that she became Batgirl again because of you leaving, Master Timothy" 

"I guess" he says, not really knowing how to reply. "How's Bruce?" He tries trying to change the subject. 

"Him and Miss Kyle have been going out lately. Thankfully he's very happy" Alfred replies. "Although" 

"Let me guess" Tim starts, a half smile sneaking it's way on his face. "Damian doesn't approve" 

"Yes. He's not keen on the fact that she used to be a criminal. He's really protective of Master Bruce. It's admirable" Alfred muses. 

"It is" Tim agrees. "I just wish he knew how to show it better" 

"Well considering his background, I'd say he's doing better than well, last year" Alfred says. 

"If you say so" he mutters, slouching on the seat. 

"He does care for you, Master Tim. Like you said, he just has a hard time properly showing it" Alfred says, looking at him through the mirror. 

"Maybe" he murmurs. 

"Master Jason is at the manor too" Alfred says after a long pause. 

That makes him intrigued. "He's living there now?" He asks, sitting back up straighter. 

"Sadly no" Alfred says shaking his head. "He hit his head last night and got a mild concussion. I advised him to get some rest in his room, much to his dismay" 

Tim hums. "Speaking of which, how are things going with the rest of the family and Jason?" he asks. 

"Master Jason has seemed to become quite open with everyone, especially Master Duke" Alfred replies. "But Master Bruce and him still haven't quite made up, although they're on civil terms" 

"That's good, I guess" Tim says, as they pull up at the manor. 

Tim gets out of the car and the first thing he feels is the familiarness of his surroundings.  _ It’s good to be back _ , he thinks. “I’ll get my bags myself” He tells Alfred as Alfred opens the trunk. 

Alfred nods. “Very well then. Would you like breakfast?” 

“Yes please. Scrambled eggs?" He answers.

“Right away, Master Tim” Alfred says, as he opens the front door of the manor. 

Tim sighs as he stretches his legs. The car ride from the airport had been tiring, especially after how exhausted he was after his flight.

He walks to the back of the car, opening the already open trunk fully, revealing his two suitcases. 

He takes them both out with ease, before taking them into the manor. 

It fully hits him that he's actually back when he enters the manor and a quite distinguishable smell greets his nostrils. 

He takes a heavy breath and lets go of his bags as he watches Bruce come down the stairs.

“Welcome back” Bruce greets with a smile. 

“Hey” He replies awkwardly. 

“Shall we talk in the library?” Bruce asks as he reaches the bottom of the staircase. He nods. 

They walk together to the library and sit down on two chairs that are facing each other near the window. 

“How are you?” Bruce is the first to break the nervous silence that had dawned on the environment within seconds with their presence. 

“I’m great” He answers truthfully. “Staying in San Francisco really did help” 

“That’s good to hear” Bruce says before they go into another daunting pause. 

“Look Bruce, I’m sorry at the way I left things last year” Tim says breaking the tension and speaking his mind. 

“Tim, It’s alright. I understand” Bruce sighs. “While you were away...I gave everything a thought...it made me realize how ignorant I was...so I’m sorry” 

The revelation makes Tim shocked, because Bruce rarely admits he’s wrong, especially in such an uncharacteristic way. But Tim can tell it’s genuine because of the sadness visible on his face. 

There’s no mask, it’s all real. Surprising considering Bruce doesn’t let his walls down and barely let’s people see him be vulnerable. He’s being one hundred percent real at this moment and Tim doesn’t know how to react. 

“...I-I can tell” He manages to barely whisper. 

“I just hope one day you’ll forgive me” Bruce says, looking out the window gravely. 

“Bruce, I already forgave you long ago” He admits. 

“Even then” Bruce starts, looking at him once again. “I hope I don’t make the same mistakes again” 

“You won’t” Tim murmurs softly. “I can already see you’ve changed. You’re a good man Bruce...always were always me...you’re complicated and I understand that..I understand the grief...you just have to show your family you care and are there for them, because everyone that has become part of your crusade, is your family now and you can’t do anything about that” The words leave his mouth without permission, sounding harsher than he would’ve liked. 

“I know...and I’m trying” Bruce says, giving him a small smile. “And...thank you” 

Tim doesn’t reply and instead looks at the back garden through the window, falling into a surprisingly comforting silence. 

  
  


“You going to the company?” Tim asks after a while, his attention now diverted towards the suit that Bruce wears. 

“Yes” Bruce replies. 

“Comfortable hours, I see” Tim snorts. 

“The benefits of owning the company” Bruce says, smiling.

“When are you going anyway?” He asks. 

“At around 11:30” Bruce replies. 

“Huh” Tim says as he searches for the watch on his wrist. Once he successfully finds it, he checks the time. “Well, unless you’ve already had breakfast, you better hurry, it’s 11:12” 

“Well then, we better get going” Bruce says, getting up from his chair. 

“Um alright” he replies also getting up. 

  
  


They silently walk out of the library. Tim thinks that they’re walking towards the dining room, but is shocked to see that Bruce walks past it. 

“You’re not eating in the dining room?” He asks puzzled. 

“Well...things changed and the dining room just felt too big and formal, so now the entire family eats in the kitchen” Bruce answers. 

“Oh wow” He says, not knowing what else to say - as they enter the kitchen. 

In the kitchen he sees Alfred making breakfast, but he’s way more focused at the other person in the room. Jason. 

He looks how he did a year ago, just more tired - but he guesses is 'cause of last night's injury. His hair looks trimmed, but messy nonetheless. Bags under his eyes obviously visible. There's also stumble on his chin and other than that he looks  _ nice _ . 

Cute even. 

His head is down on his arms, but he's looking at Tim nonetheless with his head tilted. He wears a sweatshirt and some sweatpants and it's a sight for sore eyes. Jason looks like a cuddly little teddy bear - but of course he's not little, he's twice his own size, so he is anything but little, but still.

And the fact that Jason is staring at him makes him feel self conscious - something he hasn't felt for a long time because he knows he's attractive, but something in the way Jason looks at him makes him melt and want to cover himself up as if he's naked in front of everybody. 

"Hey Jason" He says, trying to ease the tension - but he himself feeling embarrassed because of the way he squeaked that out, but he still waves like a little kid because he doesn't know what else to do, and not moving his hands makes him feel even more awkward. 

Jason doesn't reply right away which adds on to Tim's anxiety and Alfred and Bruce don't even try to break the tension either just makes him feel ten times worse. "...T-Tim? What are you doing 'ere?" Jason eventually says. 

"I'm back. For good" He makes himself say, a sort of forceful smile on his face in attempt to ease the rising tension. 

Jason stays silent once again, causing him to become beyond nervous. 

"Holy shit, okay wow. Where are my manners? You want breakfast?" Jason asks, sitting straight.  _ Okay way different than I thought, but I ain't complaining _ , Tim thinks. 

"Never took you as the manners type" he says snorting. 

"Well you know me Timbo, politest person in town" Jason says, offering him a grin.

"Weird flex, but okay" he replies, smiling back.

"If I may" Alfred intervenes. "I think Master Jason should take Master Tim out on breakfast to that new diner he likes" 

"I think that's a fantastic idea" Bruce says. 

"But my french toast!" "But my eggs!" Both Jason and Tim yell at the same time. 

"Miss Stephanie and Miss Cassandra are going to be awake soon, I'm sure they'll enjoy them" Alfred says. 

"But-" 

"Jason" Bruce says sternly.

"Fine" Jason huffs, crossing his arms. 

"Splendid" Alfred says. 

_ Did Alfred just set us on a date? _

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so im probs gonna update once a week :))


	3. We're getting real real close, can't let this moment go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yeah yeah whatever Timbo, just get out" He says turning off the car and taking out the key. 
> 
> "Gladly" Tim retorts opening the door to his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's everyone doin?
> 
> *Unedited*

**3\. We're getting real real close, can't let this moment go**. 

Jason hates Alfred and Bruce and that's final. Not because of any past thing, but because of this...this...whatever this is, with Tim.

And it's not even about Jason not liking Tim's company - far from it actually. The thing is he enjoys it a little too much. Alfred and Bruce making them go out on breakfast is definitely to talk about the kiss, which is making matters even worse. 

But he isn't going to bring if up. How could he even?

_'Hey so remember when you kissed me a year ago? Yeah well why did you do it because it messed up and and now I have feelings for you'_

Besides, Tim hasn't mentioned it so far, so why should he bring it up and kill the mood?

"You know, there's probably articles of your return by now" Jason casually mentioned - one hand on the steering wheel, as he glances at Tim who looks out the window. 

"What? No" Tim says furrowing his eyebrows, taking his eyes off of the buildings and now on to Jason. 

"Wouldn't hurt to check" He suggests.

"Um sure" Tim says. 

He watches Tim from the corner of his eye, watching him take out his phone from his pocket. He tries his hardest not to stare at Tim's face, so instead he tries to focus on road. 

Silence falls. 

"Holy shit" Tim exclaims after a few minutes. "How'd they already recognize me and write this bullshit article?" 

"Well sorry to alarm you Timbers, but even with your hot-ass makeover, you're still pretty famous and recognizable" He replies. "What they write anyway" he asks.

"Timothy Wayne returns to Gotham with a sexy new makeover, after mysteriously disappearing last year" Tim reads out, causing Jason to let out a snort. "I think the headline is enough to let you know how terrible this is" 

Jason chuckles. "Sucks to be you" 

"It does" Tim agrees. "And this picture they took, it's horrendous!" 

"It can't be that bad" he argues, keeping his eyes glued on the road. 

"Oh it is" Tim says, showing Jason the picture. 

He looks at the picture. In it Tim has his head down, headphones around his neck, black sunglasses on his eyes, phone in his hand. He wears a white plain shirt along with grey sweatpants and vans, the same thing he wears now. 

Tim looks good with his messy hair and toned figure. The only thing about it that's um...weird is the angle, but even then he still looks good. 

"I mean other than the angle, you look damn cute, babybird" He says bluntly. 

Sadly he realizes his comment a little too late because now he can't take it back. So instead he just masks his emotions the best he knows how, in hopes that Tim doesn't notice his shift in mood and looks back at the road. 

But instead it's the shift in Tim's mood that causes Jason to get worried. So he decides to see what's wrong. 

From the corner of his eye, he sees a flushed Tim, biting his bottom lip, trying to suppress an embarrassed smile. 

"Are you blushing?" He blurts out. 

"No" Tim denies, crossing his arms and looking away from Jason and instead out the window. Jason recognizes that body language - hell it's what every normal person does when they're lying, look everywhere but to the person they're lying to. 

"Oh my God you are!"

Tim stays deadly silently. 

"...I'm just not used to compliments in real life...that's all" Tim replies after a while.

He chuckles. "Hard to imagine" 

"Yeah well, whatever" Tim says. 

And at that Jason doesn't try to drag on the conversation any longer and instead puts his whole attention to driving the car once again. 

The car he's driving currently is his own surprisingly enough. Although Bruce was the one who actually bought it. 

Of course he was very reluctant to accept to it - he basically rejected it as soon as he saw it because he's very capable of getting his own if he really wanted to. But then Alfred scolded him and convinced him to accept it because he's part of the family again and it's a birthday present, so he has to accept. 

So he did even if he was reluctant and now he loves the car with his dear life. 

All things aside he has to admit that Bruce has pretty great taste in cars since this car is a beautiful metallic red Lamborghini Urus. What a beaut.

"We're here" He says after a few minutes of quietness - parking the car outside the cafe.

"Finally" Tim grunts. 

"Yeah yeah whatever Timbo, just get out" He says turning off the car and taking out the key. 

"Gladly" Tim retorts opening the door to his side. 

Rolling his eyes, Jason opens his door as well and gets out of the car. After getting out of the car he walks towards Tim - who is standing behind the car facing him, with his arms crossed. 

"ight, let's go" He says taking the lead, pressing a button on the car to lock it. 

"What are the chances of me getting papped here?" Tim randomly asks. 

"I'd say pretty low" He answers. "This part of Gotham is very lowkey, so I doubt there would be any paps here and even there were, we'd be inside anyway" 

"Good point" Tim comments as Jason opens the door to the cafe for Tim.

"Thank you" Tm says as he enters the cafe. Jason then invites himself in, closing the glass door behind him. 

"I usually sit in the corner" He remarks. 

"Well then, let's go" Tim says eyeing the corner table with two chairs. 

They walk over to their table of choice and sit down. Meanwhile a waitress with short blonde hair, brown eyes, tall and lean frame follows the two with menu's in hand. 

"Ah who's your friend over here, Jason?" She asks, as she gives both of them their menu's. 

Jason looks up at her and smiles. "This is Tim Drake, Same" He says gesturing towards Tim. "Tim this is Samantha, she works here" 

"You know I hate being called Samantha" She groans, lightly hitting Jason on the shoulder causing him to laugh. "Anyway, I heard a lot about your return. Welcome back Tim. Please call me Sam" She says giving Tim a smile. 

"Hi" Tim says lowly, nervously waving at her. 

"Didn't think you liked hanging around with rich folk" Sam says turning to Jason. "No offense" She then says turning to Tim. 

"None taken" Tim says raising his arms up in surrender. 

"I don't" Jason replies honestly and from the corner of his eye he watches Tim's face twitch - clearly indicating change in mood. "But Timmy here is an exception because he's different"

"Different, huh?" She asks raising her eyebrow and smirking at him. Jason gives her a pleading look to 'shut up'. "Anyway how may I be of service to y'all?" She asks and Jason sighs in relief that she dropped the subject - especially considering that Tim is here. 

"I'll take some chocolate French toast with some tea" He says. 

Sam nods and writes it down on her note pad. "How about you, Tim?" She asks. 

"I don't know" Tim admits. "Any suggestions?" He asks looking at Sam over his menu. 

"Well...pancakes are our specialty" She says shrugging. 

"Alright then, I'll take some pancakes along with some coffee please" Tim says politely. 

"Coming right up" She says taking the menu's from their hands and walking towards the door that leads into the kitchen. 

"So..." Tim starts awkwardly. 

"So..." Jason says as well, not knowing where this is going. 

"You a regular here?" Tim asks. 

"Yeah, I guess" He replies shrugging. 

"...So how about...you and Sam?" Tim inquires and Jason can practically feel the nervousness radiating off of him - _Christ_. He can't believe he can read Tim's body language so well, even after a year. How did they even get to this? 

"No!" His head immediately shoots in Tim's direction in disbelief. "No no no, she's like a sister to me...I would never" He's extra protective of Sam because of her rough past and he would never take advantage of that. 

Tim chuckles. "Alright then" He says with an amused expression on his face. "So how do you know this place?"

"I know the owner" He practically mumbles, looking away from Tim.

At that, Tim thankfully drops the sensitive subject.

"So...how was San Francisco?" He asks after a moment of silence, looking back at Tim once more.

"Refreshing" Tim says. "It felt good to be there to be honest...I really needed a break, but of course I had to come back to Gotham...as terrible as the place is, it's still home at the end of the day, you know?" 

He nods in understanding. The hell does he know. Even after the torment he went through here in Gotham, for some awfully weird reason, he just can't stay away from this place for much long. It's home in weird and fucked up way. But it is what is.

"How about any relationships?" He asks with interest. He really needs to know if he has a shot with Tim or not. 

Tim shakes his head. _Oh thank God._ "I mean I had random hookups but...I just couldn't get into a relationship...it didn't feel right" 

Jason looks down at his feet. Fuck. Even Tim has more experience than me. 

"You sound different" Tim randomly comments.

His head shoots up and he makes eye contact with Tim. "What?"

"I mean like...you sounds different. Shit I don't know how to explain it" Tim curses. 

Jason looks at him amused. "You mean like...more formal, maybe?" 

"I guess...you don't...wait you sound less like Roy, yeah that's it" Tim says.

Jason laughs. "Well I haven't been spending a lot of time with that fucker, so you know realistically I'm going to start sounding like an intellectual, rather than an idiot like Roy" 

Tim snorts. "You and I both know Roy is far from an idiot" 

"Ah yes my apologies, he's a jackass" 

Even Tim laughs at that - for some reason. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I js, I adore jaytim am
> 
> Also updates every week!


	4. 4. There's no place that I'd rather be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim looks down at his bare feet as he walks, trying to hide the smile on his face from thinking about the breakfast date with Jason. He's a hundred percent sure that's all he's going to be thinking about for the next few weeks. Fuck me, Jason's amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how this took me a month to write but here we are y'all. 
> 
> *UNEDITED*

**4\. There is no other place that I'd rather be**

It shouldn't really surprise Tim. Not really. 

He went to have breakfast with _Jason_. Jason of all people. 

He expected awkward tension, looking back at the past - just anything to do with the kiss they shared last year. But all he got was delicious breakfast and even deeper feelings for the guy.

The guy is so laid back when it comes to normal problems, that it makes Tim envy him. Like of course he wouldn't want to put their 'relationship' on the line by bringing but the one thing that could terribly damage it, because he actually cares about it. It makes Tim's heart all warm and fuzzy - gross. 

It's pathetic, the feelings he has for Jason. And most of all, very unexpected. 

The thing is Jason is inhumanly attractive (which he probably doesn't realize) and to add to that, he's very charming - not charming like Dick is, but in his own way that makes Tim weak.

How'd he even get here in the first place? 

Although he's relieved that the kiss wasn't brought up by Jason, he's still a bit bummed out due to the fact that he had prepared an entire fucking speech to justify what he had done and why. And now it's all going to waste. What a shame. 

Other than the awkwardness that the kiss would bring, he's not really sure what he expected from the 'date'. All he knows is that it went well and he's content with the way everything played out. 

So by the time they had gotten into the car again to go home, Tim's mind had completely drifted away from any thought of the kiss putting him at ease. 

So far Bruce and him have had an arrangement. They've decided it's best if Tim stays at the manor for a few weeks, just so he can adjust before going back to his apartment. Despite the fact that he was a bit reluctant to accept the offer, due to him having rough relations with Bruce and some of the other bats last year, but eventually decided it's for the best. 

And even though he's sparred and trained back in San Francisco, being back on the field is a whole different thing, so he'll definitely need assistance and guidance to help him get rid of his rustiness. 

Now that he's back he really wants to make amends with the entire family and try to be patient with everything. And most importantly, stay sober. 

He knows he's been one year sober now and that's a really big achievement, but in their line of work, they practically deal with drugs every single day, so it isn't going to be easy. Hell, everyone told him it's not going to be easy. He knows that, but with his one year sober achievement, he's afraid he might get way into his head - which realistically is quite plausible. 

Plus now that he's done with high school, he doesn't have the work to keep him busy. But he could potentially try to get into college, but at this rate, he doubts he will. 

So far Bruce has been supportive of his decisions, and he just hopes it stays like that. Furthermore, he's still not willing to see Barbara just yet, even though he knows he should before things get beyond complicated. His life sucks. 

Anyway, to distract himself, Tim declared that he was going to sleep as soon as him and Jason arrived back at the manor. Jason obviously agreed and asked if he needed anything. Tim gave him his new Red Robin suit and asked him to put it in the cave. 

He then shut the door and undressed till his boxers - too lazy to open his bags (that Alfred had kindly put in his room) and take out some comfortable clothes. 

As soon as his head hit the pillow on his bed, he was out cold. 

So right now, Tim's just woken up from his nap. His head feels groggy and his mouth feels dry, his eyes barely keeping themselves up. Jesus. 

Unwillingly, he pushes away the comforter that someone had put on him in his sleep. He sighs and tries his hardest to get up, despite his lazy mood. 

After around five minutes of trying to get up, he finally succeeds and gets up and even gets as far as standing on the ground. He yawns and stretches, then looks around the room and that's when he notices a pair of shorts and a shirt laying on the chair in the corner. _Alfred_. 

He quickly wears the plain white tee and light blue shorts - eager to go downstairs and see what's happening. 

As he walks outside his room and down the hallway, he runs a hand through his hair, trying his hardest to make is seem at least somewhat presentable. He knows he looks like shit and tired as hell, because he feels the same as well, but oh well. 

Tim looks down at his bare feet as he walks, trying to hide the smile on his face from thinking about the breakfast date with Jason. He's a hundred percent sure that's all he's going to be thinking about for the next few weeks. _Fuck me, Jason's amazing_.

"Tim!" he hears a feminine voice from a distance, in front of him. _Stephanie_.

He looks up and sees a certain blonde. "Steph!" He says happily, offering her a smile, as he looks at how much she's changed but looks exactly the same at the same time. The length of her hair is a little bit shorter than last time, her blue eyes sparkle with mischief as always - but look happier, her tan skin is as tan as always but her freckles seem more prominent. Other than that she looks like the same Steph, who looks a little bit more mature with the denim skirt and black sleeveless top.

He moves a little further quicker and opens his arms so that he can hug his best friend. 

"Oh my God, where have you been Tim? You've been in your room forever. Didn't even bother meeting me" She says pouting, as she untangles herself from the hug. 

"Sorry, I feel asleep" He replies, a slight feeling of guilt coming on his chest.

"Nah it's aight. Anyway damn Timmy, you be looking hot as hell, what a glow up" She coos, checking him out from head to toe. 

"So you're saying I wasn't good looking before" It's now his turn to pout. 

"Well, before you were like a sweet boy next door type of guy, now you radiate more of a bad boy vibe" She explains, causing Tim to snort.

"Me a bad boy? Give it a rest" He says with amusement, rolling his eyes. 

"Yeah yeah, I know you're a total bottom. You can't top to save your life" She replies. 

"Damn right" He says with more pride than one should when they're called a bottom. "Anyway, how's life been here? I heard you're batgirl again" 

"Yeah I'm batgirl again. The time felt right this time, so I said 'why not?' and put on the cape. Other than that life has been...strange without you" Steph says and Tim nods in understanding. "You left a lot of tension here, you know. It was really awkward at first, but thankfully that changed. Jason's adjusted pretty well too, especially considering the circumstances. Of course there's been bad times, but there's also been good times, you know?" 

He nods. "Yeah obviously. Same with me though. San Francisco was great. I had such a good time with all of them, but Gotham's my actual home and you know it was very difficult to not go out in the field because I'm a workaholic...I'm relived to be back, but I'm still gonna miss the times with them even though I'm still gonna be working with them from time to time. It's still not the same as living with them" 

Stephanie hums. "How you adjusting back here so far?" 

"Well, I've only been here for a couple of hours, but so far so good" He says chuckling. 

"Well that's nice to hear" She says smiling. "Are you gonna come on patrol tonight?" 

"Probably, yeah" He answers. "What time is it anyway?" 

"Around...six, I think" Steph says.

"Oh Jesus" Tim says, surprised by how long he slept.

"Everyone else is down at the cave. You should come too in case Bruce decides to assign you a case" She says. 

"Sure" He says, as Stephanie grabs his hand and runs with him. He can't help but smile to be back home. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a filler chapter and the calm before the storm. Y'all better enjoy this while it lasts before everything...well that's a story for another time


	5. Why, oh why does God keep bringing me back to you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I should've been informed that Drake was coming so that I could prepare" Damian deadpans. 
> 
> "Well that's Bruce's fault! Stop yelling at me!" Tim says, his voice sounding high pitched the more he continues. "Also, what the hell do you mean 'prepare', you fucking weirdo" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, i finally updated??! Congrats y'all, this moment will go down in history wbk
> 
> *UNEDITED*

**5\. Why, oh why does God keep bringing me back to you?**

Truth be told, Jason was content with the way breakfast with Tim went - well more than content anyway. He was practically glowing and smiling like an idiot because, _holy shit Tim is back_. The unexpected surprise of Tim coming back was greatly welcomed by him because even though he'll never admit it to anyone, he really missed Tim - platonic or not. 

And although he was on edge during the beginning of breakfast because of the constant fear that the kiss might be brought up and he'll inevitably get rejected. 

Thankfully it didn't and he even seemed to forget about for the time being and instead the two of them caught up on things that happened in their lives during the last year as if they were a bunch of close friends reuniting - which isn't that far from the truth but still.

After they had come back to the manor, Tim had declared he was going to sleep and Jason asked if he needed anything. The younger boy had asked him to take his suit down to the cave, along with his weapons. Jason obviously did as he asked, taking the big brief case that Tim provided him which contained the items to the bat cave. 

Thankfully when he went into the cave there was nobody so he could work on a case he was working on in peace. But before that he made sure to put Tim's suit in the glass display. 

When he opened the case, he was shocked to see a domino mask instead of a cowl, along with a lot of major changes to the original Red Robin suit. 

The design was clearly an upgrade from the previous suit. The material, the upgrades, all the changes were better than the first suit and overall it looked really good and he can only just imagine how _good_ Tim would actually look in this. 

He tries to shake the thought out of his (now) perverted mind and instead tries goes to the Bat-computer to try and solve this drug trafficking case. 

Eventually he does manage to focus properly and ends up spending a lot of time on the case. 

Jason bites his bottom lip nervously as he stares at the evidence in front of him for what feels like the hundredth time today. It just doesn't line up. He's gone through all the evidence at least fifty times and even then this one peace of evidence seems so out of place. 

He's been to the crime scene himself too. The evidence doesn't seem to be planted there so why does it not make sense? 

He gets out of his trance when he hears loud voices coming from the caves entrance. Closing all the tabs on the bat computer, Jason spins around in the chair, only to see Tim and Damian coming down while talking - well it looks more like bickering if he's going to completely honest but still. 

He smiles slightly at the irritated look on Tim's face but doesn't pay nearly enough attention to what they're actually talking about. 

Jason's attention is finally diverted to what they're actually saying when he hears a way too familiar female voice yells at the two younger boys in front of her."Can you guys stop!" 

That's when he realizes that Stephanie and Cassandra have been walking behind Tim and Damian the whole time - who by now have reaches the cave. 

"Tell Damian, not me! He started it!" Tim defends himself, huffing and crossing his arms, but a pout still present on his face which Jason can only describe as "adorable". 

"I should've been informed that Drake was coming so that I could prepare" Damian deadpans. 

"Well that's Bruce's fault! Stop yelling at me!" Tim says, his voice sounding high pitched the more he continues. "Also, what the hell do you mean 'prepare', you fucking weirdo" 

"Language Timbers, there's kids here" Jason finally speaks up, a smirk making it's way present on his face. 

Tim's eyes finally meet his for the first time in hours and Tim frowns, but the corners of his lips giving away the fact that he's trying his hardest not to smile. His stomach twists into a bunch of knots as the realization that Tim's smiling because of him hits him and he tries to fight back from actually blushing. 

"Oh shut up Jason" Tim says shaking his head in fake irritation. 

"Gross" He faintly hears Damian speak. 

Thankfully they all decide to collectively ignore that.

"Any luck on the case, Jason?" Stephanie asks. 

He shakes his head. "It just doesn't make any sense, ya know?"

"Yeah, it's a peculiar case that's for sure" 

"Maybe I could help?" Tim says joining in on the conversation, with Damian long gone by now to do his own thing. 

"Sure, it's worth a try" Jason says shrugging. He'll use all the resources he can for this case because so far this is going nowhere. He grabs the case file from the table beside him, not taking his eyes off Tim and standing up. "It's a drug trafficking case for the most part. Have been on it for a few months now but things got interesting and weird about two days ago" He explains as he walks towards the conference table with the others following. 

"How so?" Tim says raising an eyebrow as he walks side by side with Jason. 

"Well about two days ago while I was on patrol, Jason asked me to go with him as backup to an apartment building which he tracked down to be where the next big deal was going to be made" Stephanie supplies as they all sit down. 

"If it's a big deal then why was it being held in an apartment building? Aren't they usually in like warehouses or the docks?" Tim asks as he takes the file from Jason. 

"Well that's another mystery, but my guess is that they didn't want to attract too much attention since warehouses are a bit cliche nowadays" Jason replies shrugging and Tim nods following along. "So anyway when we decided to bust into the apartment you know, but when we went there everyone was dead. Like straight up murdered from both parties" 

"Gunshots?" 

He shakes his head. "No gunshots, no knife wounds. Nothing. Not even signs of struggle or trauma. They were just dead. Forensics are still trying to work on what might have caused their deaths"

Tim hums as he looks through the evidence in the file. "What about the drugs?" Tim asks not taking his eyes off the file.

"Gone. Without a trace. No fingerprints either. Whoever took it didn't even bother taking the cash. Police interrogated the people living in the building; they all swore they didn't see or hear anything." Jason says as he puts his palm under his chin and looks at Tim who carefully looks at everything. 

"So obviously a third party is involved" 

"Yeah" he agrees. 

"Any idea what the drugs were?" Tim asks looking up from the file. 

He shakes his head. "As far as we can tell, it's a new one" He tells him.

"How about any of the usual suspects? You guys speak with them?" Tim asks. 

"We spoke to the ones that are in Arkham and so far it doesn't seem like any of this is connected to them. But as far as we can tell so far, there's something a lot bigger here that we haven't quite seen yet" Stephanie replies helpfully. 

"Definitely" Tim agrees with all seriousness. "Think we should start backtracking a bit though to try and see the bigger picture. There's a lot of drug trafficking here, plus I'm sure if it's a new drug on the market, we'll hear of it soon and then maybe we can find out more"

"Sounds like a plan" 

The four of them are still reviewing the case file when suddenly Bruce comes into the cave looking dead series and comes towards the conference table. 

"Commissioner Gordon just called. He said that the case you two were working on, the forensics found something" Bruce informs them. They all look up, surprised and happy with the news, early waiting for Bruce to continue. "It was a poison. Very similar to Ivy's" 

"But why would Ivy need drugs?" Stephanie asks. 

"You never know, Steph" Tim replies.

"Anyhow, Commissioner Gordon also told me there's been an attack downtown by Ivy and Harley, so perhaps you could ask her" Bruce tells them. 

A small smile curls upon Jason's lips. "You think you're good enough to be back on the field, babybird?" He asks turning to look at Tim, his smile turning into more of a smirk. 

He sees as Tim tries to cover up the small shudder that goes up his spine, which only makes Jason smirk more. "So?" 

"Hell yeah I am" Tim replies confidently as he gets up from his chair. 

"Can't wait to see you in your new costume" He blurts out accidentally, because truthfully he knows how good the costume will look on Tim but he needs the view, right now. 

"Don't worry Jay, you'll get all the view" Tim replies smugly, despite the blush present on his face. 

_Little shit_ , Jason thinks. _San Francisco has changed him. He's turned into even more of a cheeky one now_. But Jason can't deny he finds it attractive.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you know I need an editor for this series so if anyone knows anyone or if anyone would like do that for me, please and thank you :) Hopefully the next update doesn't take so long. The reason why this update took so long was because my laptop broke like a month or 2 back and so i finally got a new one so here everyone :D


	6. Keep on falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Honestly you're so fucking dense. Sometimes I question why Ra's calls you 'Detective'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God why did it take so long to finish this chapter? No clue. But anyway I'm not that proud of this chapter (especially the ending), but I felt like there was no idea to end it other than that. 
> 
> Some things might be confusing but that'll be dealt with later
> 
> *UNEDITED*

**6\. Keep on falling**

"Who you tryna impress?" Stephanie asks, her voice suggestively teasing. 

Tim looks up from his bike and looks at the blonde in front of him, who's also on her bike, staring intently at him, with a glint of mischief in her eyes, and he can instantly tell she's up to no good. "I have no idea what you're talking about" He replies back, looking at her through his eyelashes, trying to make his response seem as innocent as he possibly can manage. "Maybe it's just for myself" He prompts, shrugging. 

"Mhm because you obviously didn't get a new suit to-"

"It needed an upgrade"

"-ah yes an upgrade, to make it more, how do I say it? Make it more tight, to seduce a certain black haired guy with a white streak in his head, because you certainly do not have a crush on out dearest J-"

"Okay! Point taken!" He yells (probably a little too loudly), raising both his arms up in surrender. "Just shut up before I end you" He says with all seriousness, glaring at the blonde's smug face. Her eyebrows raise and the smirk doesn't falter (if anything, it just grows more and more taunting as the milliseconds pass by), her expression clearly asking 'is that a threat?' 

"Still very defensive over the subject matter, I see" She says with a hint of amusement under her words."Honestly you're so fucking dense. Sometimes I question why Ra's calls you 'Detective'" She says, shaking her head in what she wants to show is irritation, but it comes off more fond than anything - Tim can tell. 

"Too bad, Steph" He deadpans. "We have a mission right now" He reminds her, as he puts on his domino mask, gently fixing it on his face. 

"Mood killer" She complains, giving him a pout, as she herself puts on her own mask, which covers her head and half of her face. 

Tim rolls his eyes. "Not the most appropriate time to be discussing this right now" 

"Discussing what? It better be the fucking mission of I'm afraid I'll have to beat you guys up" Jason says nonchalantly, inviting himself to the conversation, as he strolls past them to his own vehicle. The only thought going through his head as Jason passes by is _'Why am I so gay?'_. 

"Knowing you, you'll probably take great pleasure doing that too" Stephanie says with a snort. 

"Aw you know me so well, I'm flattered" Jason says with a loop-sided grin, as he himself gets on his bike, his domino mask fixed on his face, but his helmet nowhere in sight. Tim's chest flutters at the smile and he mentally curses at Jason for having this effect on him but at the same time, he can't stop the smile that takes over his face subconsciously from growing. 

'You guys are dumbasses" he informs them, two fingers on his temple, as he shakes his head in disapproval but his voice nothing but affectionate. 

"And yet, you still hang out with us" Stephanie retorts, popping a raspberry at Tim. _What are we? Six?_

"Unfortunately" He mutters. It really is true. No matter how much he'll think he wants to end their lives sometimes (okay maybe just Stephanie), he can't ever bring himself to do that (not because of the no killing rule), he just adores them too much - alas their constant teasing and idiotic behavior does make him want to kill himself sometimes, but with enough alcohol in his system, he's sure he'll be able to face them. 

Another thing that's really disconcerting is the fact that Stephanie and Jason have hit it off so easily. They seem to have similar personalities too, and slowly Tim is questioning his decision to come back to Gotham.

"Anyway, are we going to go, or not?" 

"Technically we're waiting for Damian, but the little squirt is probably gonna take a while considering he's going through some case files, so I suggest we leave and he can catch up to us later" Jason explains shrugging. 

"Sounds good enough" 

Jason puts on his own helmet and then they go on their way. The time isn't that late, quite the contrary even. So it's a little shocking that Poison Ivy is attacking the middle of Gotham, during such crowded hours. But then again, it sort of makes sense? The ride to the area of damage is taking- well he doesn't know how long it's taking. It's like he's lost all perception of time, because one minute it's all a blur and then the next it's like the same building keeps repeating itself. Tim sighs and decides to indulge into his own daydreams instead. 

His daydreams are far from paradise, he likes to say. They've slowly started to get more and more occupied with Jason Peter Todd, more than anything and at times it gets fairly annoying, he must admit. He feels like a teenage girl with a crush and he doesn't like it one bit - especially the giddy feeling he keeps feeling. It fucking sucks. He wants to whine and complain to Stephanie about how much this sucks, but he doesn't. He can't. He shouldn't. 

He's a grown ass person now, he should be able to deal with his own problems. He says that, but he knows he's bound to make old mistakes again. Old habits die hard, he guesses. It's a saying he's heard probably a million times in his life and for once he just wishes it's just a saying and nothing more, because he seriously does not have the mental energy to go through a relapse - he's sure the others feel the same, despite still always being there to help him. 

This fucking sucks. Jason is too perfect to exist, his brain tells him. But that's all a lie. Jason is far from perfect. He has more flaws than probably all of the world combined, and yet somehow he finds that endearing and interesting. It's just so him. His flaws make him who he are and at the end of the day, he decided a while ago that his flaws did in fact matter, but it was because of his flaws that made him like the older man. 

It's simple, yet it's not. Feelings are strange like that. Life is cruel like that. But it is what it is - that's the mindset that's making him get through everything. 

Flaws. He finds himself repeating. 

Flaws were unacceptable in the Drake household. You had to be perfect. Well, perfect to the outside world, really. The Drake family cared about their image a lot, so they did everything in their power to make it seem like they were perfect. They wanted everyone to see that Tim was perfect too. He guesses it was fine. There was a lot of pressure, but it was fine. He tried to escape his family several times. But when they died, he realized how much he needed them. How much he missed and loved them. Despite them being a bit dysfunctional, they tried their best. Tim couldn't see it before, but now he can. 

It was their legacy, that's what they were taught. Tim doesn't blame them for how they raised him. How they isolated him. Not anymore at least. He's free now, but the guilt of his parents death still has a heavy toll on his shoulders. He doesn't let it consume it though. The rage, the disbelief, the sadness. It's all inside. He's let it out before, he doesn't think he needs to let out more. For now this is enough. The occasional sulking is the best course of action for now. And he's content with that. 

The sigh that escapes his mouth as they reach their destination is almost on habit. So is the fidgeting. It's been a while since he's been out in the field. Not only that, but it's not normal patrol, it's a full blown attack and his nerves seem to be off the roof. He mentally curses at himself as he gets off his bike, following Batgirl and Red Hood up the building using their grappling guns. 

They don't exchange words for a bit. Just run towards the area where all the chaos is. Red Robin feels like he's going to throw up. 

All of a sudden it gets eerily quiet and Red Robin starts to wonder what exactly Ivy is even doing? They crouch down on the rooftop of the building that's looking down on the chaos underneath them. The entire place is filled with different types of plants. There's no one in sight, but he guesses that Ivy either made them fall asleep or took them as captures. He squints a little and sees the first human figure in the ruckus. 

He half expects it to be Ivy. But it's Harley. 

Not a second later, he spots Ivy not far from Harley. They both stare at each other grinning, sharing the same sheepish expression. It makes Red Robin curious as to what their motive is. 

"You two, distract them. I'll go from behind for a sneak attack. I doubt they would expect Red Hood here" Red Hood whispers to him and batgirl. They both nod in confirmation.

Red Hood is about to leave when Red Robin blurts out, "Where's your helmet, by the way?" 

Hood turns around and looks at him nonchalantly. "I had to repair it, but it's still not finished. I'll be fine without it" No matter how calmly he said it, the way the moon illuminated his face, Red could see the way his tongue was out from the corner of his mouth - he was just as nervous about going on the field (especially since it's Ivy), as he was. 

But there's nothing they can do about that now. 

He nods, still not completely okay with the situation, but turns around nonetheless, mumbling a small. "Good luck" before Red Hood takes off and goes to take position. 

Even though the small words of encouragement left his mouth, he has a bad feeling about this mission. He knows gut feelings are almost always right, but they can't move. They can't call and wait for backup. Because if they do, Ivy and Harley are probably gonna do more damage and innocent lives will be lost. He lets out a shaky breath, already feeling stiff and tense. 

He looks over to Stephanie, who nods at him to move from their current position. He nods back, getting up from his crouched position, swiftly taking out his grappling gun and gets down the building with Batgirl. 

Red Robin can feel his heart pounding with every step he takes, Ivy and Harley still haven't spotted them yet and he can't decide whether that's good or bad. _It's okay, you have Jason and Stephanie with you, you'll be fine. Damian's coming soon too, don't panic_ , he tells himself. He tries to even out his breathing as he runs with Batgirl. He can't tell if it's working or not, all he can do is hope for the best. 

They run across the plant infested road, their field of view limited because of them. 

Thankfully it doesn't take them long to spot Harley and Ivy, but the downfall is that they spot them just as fast - bye bye to the element of surprise, yeah? Technically it doesn't even matter that much because they still don't know Red Hood is here (or well he hopes they don't at least), so they still have some of their element of surprise left. 

"Well well well, look who's finally arrived" Ivy starts, "You guys have lost your touch, I could feel you coming from miles away" That's all she has to tell them for Tim to go on edge and become disconcerting. _Ivy could be bluffing_ , he thinks, but then again, he doesn't wanna take any chances. They can't. Not right now at least. They need to play it safe.

A chill runs down his spine and he can somewhat make out Red Hood coming towards Ivy and he thinks, _oh shit, not right now Jason_ , but he can't voice his concerns, not without blowing the element of surprise (if it hasn't been blown already). He just blinks and then the next thing he knows, Stephanie is trying to fight Harley, while Jason is knocked unconscious right behind Poison Ivy and Tim thinks, _fuck_. 

Everything's happening all too fast for him to react in Tim, but then he feels a presence beside him and it takes his brain a second to process that it's Damian. "Red Robin! Go take Hood and take him back!" 

He tries his best to nod, not really trusting his body anymore, but manages to sprint towards Jason's body. There's a strange aroma around him and Tim decides that Ivy used some pollen on him. _His breathing is fine, so he's just knocked out_ , he thinks. Using his strength, he lifts Red Hood's body (which is definitely heavier than it looks but he manages). 

He can faintly hear the noises of Robin and Batgirl fighting off with Harley and Ivy as he retreats to the back of the building where they came from. 

The groans that come out of Jason's body are enough to make him feel better about the situation, realizing that he's finally waking up. So he crouches down, with the body still around his shoulders, carefully placing it against the wall. 

He waits for a minute or two, before he realizes that Jason's eyes are open and staring directly at him. The unexpected attention makes him feel smaller in comparison and he bites his inner cheek. 

"You good?" Red Robin asks Red Hood. A simple question that he thinks Jason will answer truthfully.

"Oh I'm great, just a bit dizzy" Jason says, running a hand through his hair.

"That's good" Tim replies, but hen he sees Jason narrowing his eyes at him. "Is something wrong?" He questions frowning. 

Jason shakes his head. "You just look really fucking good in that new costume, like really really good" Jason says, eyeing him up and down. Tim's cheeks flush at the compliment and he suddenly feels naked in front of the white streaked boy. Before he has the chance to thank him, he continues. "I mean don't get me wrong you ever really hot before too, but like damn" 

What the fuck, Tim thinks, as Jason keeps on babbling about him. He doesn't think it's possible to become redder than he already is. He expected many ways for this mission to go wrong, but this. This was definitely not what he predicted. _This isn't good for my health or crush on him_ , he thinks, silently praying that Jason will shut up before he faints. 

"Um...did you inhale Ivy's pollen?" Tim asks after a long pause, trying to keep his voice neutral and definitely not shaky. 

"I think so" Jason replies shrugging. "You're really hot when you figure things out like that" 

_Oh God, please help me_ , he thinks, biting his bottom lip. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is coming together hehehehe. Also I updated the tags so be prepared lmao
> 
> NEXT TIME:   
> \- Jason just won't shut up  
> \- Tim's gonna explode   
> \- Everyone else is so done with them  
> \- Bruce is a good dad


End file.
